


In Your Arms

by RoseAmaranth



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Confused Tony, F/M, IronStrange, Kinda canon compliant, M/M, Stephen is a great dancer, Teaching Tony how to dance, Wedding dance, Wong is so sick of Stephen's crap, pepperony wedding
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-23
Updated: 2020-02-23
Packaged: 2021-02-28 06:21:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,096
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22859167
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RoseAmaranth/pseuds/RoseAmaranth
Summary: Tony is getting married, but he's freaking out over the big dance he's supposed to have with his soon-to-be-bride. And he just happens to know a friendly wizard who's a good dancer.
Relationships: Pepper Potts/Tony Stark, Tony Stark/Stephen Strange
Comments: 4
Kudos: 49





	In Your Arms

**Author's Note:**

> Based on a Johnlock post I saw about Sherlock dipping John Watson to show him how to do it properly for his wedding to Mary. I don't do Sherlock Holmes/John Watson, but I do, however, write Ironstrange! 
> 
> So....this was born! xx

Tony took a deep breath and knocked on the door, though he immediately regretted doing so. Too late. They were far past knocking and asking for permission to invade each other's space, but he was distracted and freaking out about....well...about a lot of things, actually. The Avengers were welcoming new members that Tony now had to design and build accommodations for at the compound, his business was coming out with a new line of phones in the fall and some medical machines in the spring after so there was always a new talk show or interview scheduled nearly every day of the week, and on top of it Tony decided to try and get married.

Hey, no one ever said Tony was good at handling his time. In fact, he was either rushing around until he finally collapsed, or was wasting unhealthy amounts of time in his workshop fiddling with suits and designing weapons he would never build. Pepper was truly an angel he would never deserve.

The door opened and startled him out of his head, the bald servant wizard guy who lived with Strange furrowing his brows and frowning. Did the guy ever _smile_? Or laugh? Was he, like, a robot? That would be pretty cool.

“What do you need, Stark?” Wong was never one to chit chat or participate in small talk, something Tony respected about the man. He was brusque and straight to the point about everything. Unwavering, which was probably a good thing considering Strange and Tony could get radically off topic and would need Wong to remind them of more pressing issues. It made sense Wong worked with Strange in the wizard palace since Strange was someone who broke and bent the rules when needed and had a knack for running head-first into trouble without thinking twice about what consequences would come of it. Someone like Stephen could maybe help Wong loosen up a little, and Wong was there to be the voice of reason and pull the reigns in when needed.

A perfect balance, those two. It had him wondering if their....living arrangement could maybe hint at something _more_ between them, but he never saw any signs of tension between them (aside from Wong's ever-present frown he would shoot at Stephen), and Stephen never mentioned having feelings for anyone anyway, so he brushed it off and smiled at the grumpy wizard.

“I wanted to talk to Stranger Things. If he's not busy?” Wong sighed and motioned for him to step through the door. While Tony closed it, Wong shuffled down some hallway and shouted for Strange. Tony took the brief moment he was alone with the magic artifacts to examine a couple, just nearly getting his finger on one before he was interrupted. 

“I wouldn't touch that. My research has found that particular artifact will turn your blood to powder.” Tony brightened up instantly when Stephen came into view, looking exhausted but amused. So different from the wizard he met while trying to fight some witch chick in Central Park. He stepped away from the rusted artifact and beamed.

“I would never ever break Wong's rule about touching things I don't know anything about. Never.” Stephen snorted and gestured for him to follow, leading them to the familiar sitting room Tony occupied many days in the past. He and Stephen had a lot in common, actually, and both of them had interesting stories to share and annoyed friends to bother with their antics. Stephen showed him how safe and even protective magic could be. Tony upgraded the Sanctum with clean energy and Stephen's phone.

He won over Wong by helping him download a ton of songs on his iPod and then gifting him a Stark Pad for Christmas.

Stephen stirred a cup of tea he certainly didn't have a minute ago, and Tony found a steaming mug of coffee waiting on the table next to his arm. Man, being friends with a wizard who didn't have a vendetta against him sure had its perks.

“Okay, what can I do for you, Stark?” Despite Tony's teasing and comments, Stephen never called him anything other than 'Stark'. Always the professional; or, maybe he knew it irritated Tony and so he refused to call him anything else. Not that he was upset by it or anything. Tony crossed his leg over his knee and drummed his fingers.

“Well, its about the wedding.” He wasn't too sure if Stephen meant to, but Tony caught him flinching and how he nearly dropped his spoon. A second or two passed before Stephen finally glanced up, face unchanging and still friendly- albeit more closed off. Stephen was doing that more as time moved on. And it seemed to be whenever someone mentioned the wedding coming up in the next few days.

A wedding Stephen said he couldn't attend anyway. Maybe he had some....experience with weddings that made them traumatic for him? Or maybe he was married some time ago and someone getting hitched was a sore spot for him. Tony respected the man and his decision, but he couldn't help feeling hurt one of his best friends wasn't going to be there to congratulate him on one of the things he was doing right.

In fact, if Rhodey hadn't nearly ripped his head off, Stephen would be his best man. Thor insisted on then being one of the groomsmen, spots taken shortly after by Steve, Bruce, and Peter. Stephen brushed off being in any part of the wedding, something about a wizard meeting or something that he just couldn't get away from that day.

“Right. How is that going?” Tony ran a hand through his hair and laughed. If it wasn't for Pepper and Happy, he would probably be going insane with stress and insecurities. Instead, Happy was working with Peter's aunt to plan everything, and Pepper was helping Tony relax by kicking his ass out of the office and then his apartment to go do something with his friends. Something to help him de-stress. 

That was about three months ago, and now he was tightly wound up once again. At least it wasn't something as major as the world ending. Far more terrifying, though.

“Good so far. I think. I don't know how people do it. Like, I love Pepper. I know that down to my core. And I want to keep her close and proclaim our love from the rooftops, but gosh it's all so stressful! And I just realized this morning I do not have the slightest idea how to dance. Or do that dip women love so much.” Stephen hummed and nodded, blue eyes sharp and calculating.

“Indeed they seem to. What has brought you to my door, then?” He felt it couldn't be more clear, but maybe Stephen was distracted by some magic thing and wasn't putting pieces together like he normally did. He always seemed to know what Tony wanted or what he was going to say before he ever said it. Sometimes he wondered if Stephen could read minds, but then he brushed that off quickly. He trusted the wizard to never cross that barrier with someone he was friends with.

“Well, a little birdie told me you were quite the dancer at one time. I was hoping you could help me.”

And that was how he ended up dancing with Doctor Stephen Strange, wizard and former world-renowned neurosurgeon, in the middle of the sitting room. The chairs were gone and Stephen was leading him through the steps while also correcting him with a tap of his foot or the brush of his hands. The song Tony and Pepper agreed to dance to for their first dance as a married couple played from Tony's stereo Stephen pulled out of a portal, and they were dancing through the twentieth playing of that song.

It had Tony wanting to change it, but he knew Pepper was so fond of it. And he was willing to do anything to make her day special.

“Good. Just practice that a little more and you'll knock Miss Potts off her feet. Now, the dip isn't particularly difficult, but it should be practiced so you don't accidentally dump your partner on the ground when doing it. Go ahead and try it on me.” Well, it wasn't exactly the same as it would be with Pepper since Stephen was over six feet tall and all legs, but Tony gripped him tightly and tried to twist and dip without losing his grip on the wizard.

Unfortunately, he didn't take into account the momentum of the turn or Stephen's weight, the two falling to the floor in a heap. Tony chuckled and shook his head, propping himself above Stephen to share a bemused smile with the wizard. Instead, Stephen nearly threw him off and scrambled to his feet, brushing off his clothes while clearing his throat.

“That was a...good attempt. Let me show you.” Stephen led them through the dance, light on his feet and precise in every movement he made. He held Tony close, a warm trembling hand cupping the back of his neck while the other held Tony's hand out through the turns and spins. His hands were gentle yet commanding, pressing into his skin to keep him close and focused. Tony couldn't pull his eyes from the flickering flames behind his intelligent blue eyes, feeling like a moth flying dangerously close to an open flame.

There was something almost bittersweet in his smile, wistful in his eyes, but Tony couldn't focus on it as the dip was coming. Stephen pulled Tony close, bodies pressed together and legs nearly tangling, a smile flashing in his vision before the world was spinning and they were bent deep into the dip Tony botched before. It stole the breath from Tony's lungs, especially the close proximity they were keeping with each other, the intoxicating tilt of Stephen's mouth and the warmth flickering in oceanic eyes. Tony could feel himself falling into the depths, the possibility of drowning hardly scaring him away from the pull he could feel to dive in and never return.

Well, that was new. Maybe a little troubling.

Stephen leaned down further, closer, their faces nearly touching and flicked his gaze down to Tony's mouth. His tongue swiped across lips Tony never thought twice about before but that were now all he could focus on. Tony's mouth dried up and he nearly choked on air in anticipation. When they were merely inches apart, Tony's lips parted as he stared up in wonder. Stephen merely chuckled lowly.

“And this is when you kiss her, Anthony.” His voice, soft and so so deep, sent a thrill through Tony's body. As did hearing his full first name wrapped in that velvet baritone. He could feel the space closing between them, their mouths just nearly touching. Tony's eyes fell closed and his chin tilted upwards, but then they were upright again and Tony's head was spinning. Whatever spell he was under vanished in thin air, Stephen already retreating to the kitchen and leaving Tony feeling off-kilter and strangely cold.

“Stark.” He blinked a few times, fingers pressed to his lips without him remembering doing so. He quickly dropped his hand and found Wong standing where Stephen was before; where he should be now. To his surprise, the stoic man's face wasn't its usual closed off serious expression. He seemed almost sympathetic and apologetic. Tony glanced towards the kitchen in search of Stephen, raising his brow in question. Wong shook his head and opened a portal to Tony's left. To his disappointment, it was into his tower.

“Stephen...informed me he was called away due to an emergency in Kamar-Taj. He asked me to help you get home and to pass on his well wishes for your wedding with Miss Potts.” His chest constricted inexplicably and he felt the odd urge to cry- maybe punch something. Instead, he nodded to Wong and stepped through the portal. There was nothing to say without Stephen there to answer his questions, and he had a dance and dip to practice on Nat and anyone else willing to risk the possibility of Tony throwing him on the ground.

Still, as the portal closed behind him and Tony loosened his tie, he couldn't shake the moment with Stephen off. Those eyes...his lips....the warm embrace Tony could nearly feel around him even now. He sighed and flopped onto his couch, wondering why his life couldn't ever just be uncomplicated for once.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading!


End file.
